Try Goku's new Super-Saiyan GOD mode against his hardest enemies such as Giant Ape Vegeta and Frieza.

Fly through massive, open areas to unleash your ki blast power.

Team up with three of your friends in co-op mode, or go head-to-head with up to seven other players online.

Let the saga begin

DRAGON BALL Z: BATTLE OF Z on PlayStation 3 is based on the hugely popular Japanese anime and manga series. Missions are based on Dragon Ball Z’s many different story arcs, called sagas, and each saga has its own set of missions set across 13 stages. Take part in team battles, match up certain characters and play through earth-shuddering moments from the Dragon Ball universe – each of which adds a unique twist to the original anime and manga stories.

The fast-paced, over-the-top action is complemented by superb cel-shaded graphics, voice acting and excellent sound effects that bring the distinctive characters and battles to life. One nice touch is that as you unlock each of the 60 missions, a special tree diagram shows you how they fit in with the anime and films, so you won’t be lost if you’re a newcomer.

Another great option is the Play Log, which keeps track of your in-game statistics such as your mission progress, medals earned, your quickest mission-completion time, which character you prefer to use the most and how many times you’ve been knocked out with each character. You can use this impressive stats tracker to fine-tune and improve your fighter.

Team talk

Get ready for the biggest battles the Dragon Ball Z universe has ever seen, with spectacular single-player missions and online multiplayer modes that allow players to team up.

Teammates share the GENKI energy meter, which increases whenever you attack opponents. You can even team up to perform attacks: Synchro Rush is when you attack an enemy at the same time; Meteor Chain sees you following up each other’s attacks so there’s no time for an opponent to counter-attack; and Revive Soul lets you revive a teammate. Every role on the four-man team is equally important: there’s a close-combat specialist, a long-range sharpshooter, a support character and one who hinders an enemy’s movement.

You’ll spend most of your time in missions dashing around the large maps, using your ability to fly through the air and suddenly swoop down or take enemies by surprise and avoid their attacks. Battles are consistently chaotic and frenetic, which is why you’ll always need help from your team. Complete the mission by meeting specific victory conditions within the time limit and you’ll earn Dragon Points, which you can use to buy special battle items.

Are you with me or against me?

DRAGON BALL Z: BATTLE OF Z brings fans the long-awaited opportunity to team up with three friends online in co-op mode, or compete against up to seven players online in a team battle. In co-op mode you complete missions, while there are four team games: Normal Battle, Score Battle, Battle Royal and Dragon Ball Grab.

Normal Battle is a four-on-four tussle where each team has a certain number of retries that are used up whenever a team member is defeated; use up all your retries and you lose. Score Battle is also four-versus-four, but this time the team with the highest score wins, and you increase your score by defeating opponents.

Battle Royal is an eight-player free-for-all where the only rule is that it’s every man for himself; the player with the highest score after a punishing match wins. And Dragon Ball Grab is a four-on-four contest where each team battles to collect seven Dragon Balls scattered around the map.

In co-op mode you can give your player the edge by assigning them cards. Unlock and equip 142 cards to boost your character’s stats, increase your defence or gain an extra retry with 50 per cent health.